Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar warns government officials getting money from government projects. Image credit to Inquirer

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar ordered the dismissal of a district engineer in the province of Ifugao who was caught in a video allegedly asking for "grease money" from a contractor of a road project.

Department of Public Works and Highways in Benguet. Image credit to Inquirer

PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica showed a six-minute video of District Engineer Lorna Ricardo of the DPWH-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) haggling with an unidentified representative of a contractor bidding for a special development road project.

If in the previous administration, "grease money" is acceptable, under the Duterte administration most especially with Sec. Villar in the DPWH it's a big "NO-NO".

Presidential Anti-Crime Commission

The district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who was in hot water to the PACC for alleged corruption wherein Belgica would like to speak with the official to enlighten them on the video.

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) presented to the media a video showing the official allegedly demanding for P10 million from a contractor to ensure the awarding of the Lagawe-Caba-Ponghal Road Development Project.

Lorna Ricardo immediately vacate her post as district engineer of DPWH Abra District Engineering Office under the “Preventive Suspension” rule of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in Civil Service to whom Villar had ordered for her dismissal.

Ricardo was also asked to report to the DPWH Central Office pending the conduct of appropriate administrative investigation over her alleged wrongdoing.

DPWH Legal Chief Rodil Millado said that the concerned official would be investigated and if evidence warrants criminal and administrative charges would be filed.

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